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The Definitive Guide To

The World’s
Hidden Wonders

From ancient relics to roadside oddities, we connect you to the best of what’s out there.

Lake Retba, also known as Lac Rose

Lake Retba

This deceptively salty lake looks like blushing pink lemonade.

Added By Rachel James

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Editor’s Picks

Destinations From Across the Atlas

Destinations From Across the Atlas

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Featured Trips

Balkans Road Trip: Serbia, Croatia & Bosnia and Herzegovina

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Wild Borneo: Secrets of an Ancient Rainforest

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Cracking Open Evolution’s Black Box on 'Lizard Island'

islands

On an island in South Florida, scientists use trials to see how natural selection drives evolution in real time.

Featured Trips

Balkans Road Trip: Serbia, Croatia & Bosnia and Herzegovina

Trip

Wild Borneo: Secrets of an Ancient Rainforest

Trip

More Stories

This Kansas Town Advertised the World’s Largest Well. It Wasn’t.

Podcast

Do New York City Rats Deserve Their Bad Rap?

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The Secret Gardens Saving the World’s Rarest Plants

botanical gardens

Where to Wander: Atlas Obscura Selects the Best Places to Visit in 2025

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Hidden Wonders

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Durham, England

Finchale Priory

The former "holiday home" for monks at the Durham Cathedral.

Added By

katielou106
Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

The Venerable Thich Quảng Đức Monument

A memorial to the monk who set himself on fire to protest the persecution of Buddhists in Vietnam.

Added By

Michael Inscoe
Salem, Massachusetts

The Witch House of Salem

The only structure left with direct ties to the Salem witchcraft trials of 1692.

Added By

Dylan Thuras
Sønderborg, Denmark

'Støvlen' ('The Boot')

This colossal hiking boot, once built for a scout jamboree, serves as an observation tower and barbecue area.

Added By

Johan SWE
Nassau, Bahamas

Ocean Atlas

The world’s largest underwater sculpture is found just off the coast of Nassau.

Added By

Rachel Gould
Chicago, Illinois

Margie’s Candies

This old-fashioned confectionary has been family owned and operated for more than a century.

Added By

Hal Koss
Bedford, Virginia

National D-Day Memorial

This monument is dedicated to those lost on June 6, 1944, in the town with that day’s highest per-capita casualty rate.

Added By

Katie Willard
Pembrokeshire, Wales

Dyffryn Arms

A historic pub in the front room of a Victorian-era house.

Added By

Jack

Michigan City, Indiana

Century of Progress Homes

These five houses were built for the 1933 Chicago World’s Fair.

Added By

kateloveshistory
Washington, D.C.

Signers’ Memorial

Engraved in stone on a little Island are the signatures of everyone who signed the Declaration of Independence.

Added By

kmorgan6912
Kamakura, Japan

Wakae Island Ruins

The ruins of the oldest artificial island in Japan, still used for mooring today at 800 years old.

Added By

Fred Cherrygarden
Sala, Sweden

Sala Silver Mine

Sweden’s legendary mine with wildly deep tunnels.

Added By

Amanda Bolts
Aldershot, England

World War I Firing Walls

These remnants of World War I firing walls can be found in the woodlands of Aldershot.

Added By

AdOYo
Kiischpelt, Luxembourg

Kiischpelt’s Solar Circle

This modest monument marks the only point of intersection between longitude and latitude in the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg.

Added By

duaner
Rüdesheim am Rhein, Germany

Niederwald Monument

Hilltop monument to the victory of a new nation in the Franco-Prussian War.

Added By

Skrillerd
Cave City, Kentucky

The Dive

A watering hole where regulars who have ordered 500 beers have their names etched on the bar in gold.

Added By

Leticia Cline

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Articles, Videos, and Podcast

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Most Popular

Most Recent

A contractor attaches a new wire at 56th Street and 11th Avenue.

hidden

The Wire That Transforms Much of Manhattan Into One Big, Symbolic Home

The eruv, a nearly invisible holy boundary, must be intact every Friday.

Written By

Michael Inscoe

October 16, 2017

victorian
No, Victorians Didn't Cover Up Table Legs Because They Were Too 'Sexy'
By Eric Grundhauser
science
Medieval Africans Had a Unique Process for Purifying Gold With Glass
By Evan Nicole Brown
national parks
America’s First Game Warden Died Fighting for the Birds
By Olivia Young
botanical gardens
The Secret Gardens Saving the World’s Rarest Plants
By Julie Zigoris
Podcast
Which Places With Bad Raps Are Actually Worth Visiting?
By The Podcast Team
Podcast
This Man Rebuilds the Last Inca Rope Bridge Yearly
By The Podcast Team
games
The Hidden Worlds of Monopoly
By Adrienne Raphel

The Haskell Free Library and Opera House building on the U.S.-Canadian border.

Podcast

Could New Border Restrictions Literally Tear the Haskell Free Library Apart?

The library, which straddles the U.S.–Canadian border, has seamlessly served patrons in both countries since 1904. That’s all changing thanks to rising international tensions.

Written By

The Podcast Team

June 13, 2025

new england
The Curious History of New England’s Hermit Tourism
By Ryan Shea
Podcast
This Kansas Town Advertised the World’s Largest Well. It Wasn’t.
By The Podcast Team
Podcast
Do New York City Rats Deserve Their Bad Rap?
By The Podcast Team
botanical gardens
The Secret Gardens Saving the World’s Rarest Plants
By Julie Zigoris
travel
Dear Atlas: How Do I Unplug on a Solo Trip?
By Aube Rey Lescure
Podcast
The Art in This Museum Was Donated for Free
By The Podcast Team
Podcast
How the Rocky Mountain Locust Plague Spawned Federal Disaster Relief
By The Podcast Team

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Plan Your Adventure

Guides, lists, and itineraries

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Trips and Videos

Oaxaca Mexico tamales

North America

Flavors of Oaxaca: Markets, Mezcal & Home-Cooked Meals

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We travel to incredible, often overlooked places. Our global community of local experts grants you access to unique, small-group experiences.

Video

Sea Critters of Charlotte Harbor

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Complete Your Bookshelf

Books and Box Sets

The Wild Life book lays on a bright blue surface next to a pair of binoculars and a foldable field guide for small critters.

Our Newest Book: Wild Life

An Explorer’s Guide to the World’s Living Wonders

Two Atlas Obscura books with book sleeve lay on a light wooden table surrounded by spices and dinnerware.

The Explorer’s Library

Combination of Two Bestsellers

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